William
by futurelyfamous
Summary: Spike struggles with the knowledge of something that will affect the rest of his life. In the end, he must make the ultimate choice between love and life. Old faces appear. Please R&R. All reviews are appreciated. UPDATE: I have abandoned this story for 6 years. I think now it's time to finish it...stay tuned. 7/1/12
1. You Can't Have An End Without A Beginnin

Summary: Spike struggles with the knowledge of something that will affect the rest of his life. In the end, he must make the ultimate choice between love and life. Old faces appear and disappear.

Chapter 1 – You Can't Have An End Without A Beginning

(10 years after Not Fade Away)

Spike sauntered down the streets of London, not making eye contact with anyone, not even looking up from the ground. He turned a corner quickly, stuffing his cold hands in the pockets of his coat. He had wanted to get away from this damn city for so long, but there had always been something keeping him around. That something was no longer there. He stopped, suddenly, and listened. There was someone or something following him. Even though he was not a vampire any more, he still used all the knowledge he had gained throughout the years to his advantage.

Hearing the follower's footsteps stop yards behind him, Spike started walking again, pretending to shove his watch back into his pocket. He did have somewhere to be soon, but he had time to spare. Spike had an idea who was following him, but he needed to be sure.

Turning into an alley, he walked a little quicker now, wanting to get nearer to the other end before making his move. There was a dumpster there, if memory served, that he could duck behind, giving the impression that he had vanished into thin air. He balled his fists up in his pockets, gaining a last bit of warmth before taking them out to feel the cold London air. The air would likely numb his knuckles a bit before the big fight began, which was good because he didn't relish pain anymore.

Steeling himself behind the dumpster, Spike crouched as low to the ground and as close to the dumpster as possible so he would not be seen. The footsteps of Spike's follower drew nearer and nearer and grew louder by the second. Counting to three, Spike dove out from his hiding spot and crashed into his pursuer. He pushed the man up against the opposite wall, and landed a punch in his face. "Thought you had me fooled did ya mate?" Spike asked.

"No. I knew you knew I was there all along. I'm surprised it took you as long as it did to make your move. Now let me go," came a familiar voice. Spike backed up a few steps and released the man from his grip. The man reached up and lifted his hood, letting just enough light illuminate his face.

"Giles. I should have know."

Rupert Giles reached up and dabbed the blood on his lip with a handkerchief he had retrieved from his pocket. "You've lost a bit of force in your punch."

"Well, being all human now means that I don't have super-strength anymore. What do you want?"

"Information."

"About?"

"You," Giles stated, folding up the stained white cloth. "I heard you were leaving the city. Where are you going?"

"That's for me to know, and for you to never find out," Spike said, leading against the dumpster and flipped the collar of his coat up to protect his neck from the cold. "You know, the cold didn't use to bother me as much. It's irritating."

"That's life." Giles stepped a bit closer and looked deep into Spike's eyes. "Spike, I know what you're going through. I feel the loss to. But running away is not the way to deal with it. You're a young man. You have a long life ahead of you. At least attempt to end your grieving so you can move on and experience love again."

"That's easy for you to say, chap. How can you dismiss her so easily? You loved her longer than I did! You probably think that if I had to make the same choice all over again that I wouldn't choose this. And you're right."

"I don't think that and you know it. You know that you would have chosen this. She would have wanted this for you."

"Damn you and your logic."

"Look Spike, I can here to say one thing, not to hold a bitter conversation. I've persuaded the other Council Elders to offer you a job. If you stay, we'll arrange for your living arrangements. And you wont' have you nose in a book all day, if that's what you're thinking."

"Offer me a job to watch over me, is that it? What to cage me up so you can keep up with the continuing saga of William the Bloody? Too bad. I decline your offer. That saga is over. It was over ten years ago. You're lucky I didn't run off before now."

"Spike. William, since that's what you're going by now, we only want to be sure that you don't do something drastic. You've been given a second chance. Take advantage of it. Don't throw it away just because something bad happened...again. Your grief will pass. Just give it a chance to run its course."

"Look you ponce, if you think that I'm going to haul myself off the roof of a building, that's the last thing on my mind. I intend on taking my second chance in full, just not here. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment to get to. I can go out in the middle of the day you know. Still getting' used to that bit." William rubbed his hands together and started off down the alley. He didn't look back at Giles once.

"My offer will still stand if you want to take it up!!" Giles yelled after him. "If you're still alive," he said the last part to himself.

'Yea, right,' William thought to himself about Giles' yell. He turned out onto the sidewalk. It was cold, and for once in London the sun was shining, but it wouldn't last long. He had about a block to go before he reached his destination, but he covered it quickly. Stopping, he pulled open the glass door and entered. He walked over to the circulation desk, and picked up a pen to write his name on the sign-in sheet. Looking up when he was finished, he was met by an inviting smile of the nurse, and he gave her an empty but convincing one in return.

Taking a seat, William pulled off his gloves and stuffed one into each side pocket of his coat and rubbed his hands together to keep them warm. Looking around, he briefly examined the others in the doctors office. A woman cradling a young baby, and next to her sat a child of no more than 4 years. William reflected on how many families just like that he had killed, brutally, in the one-hundred plus years of his vampirism. He remembered a particular time when he and Drusilla, a former flame, were in Prague, and he had entered a hospital with her upon her request, so she could look at the babies. He remembered how she would cradle a doll, like it was her child, and his affection for young humans was baffling to him.

He had killed the nurse, and Drusilla had killed the doctor, that attempted to stop them from entering the nursery. Dru walked over to one of the babies and gently picked it up, being sure to support it's head. As soon as she touched it, the baby a screamed out as if it were in pain, clearly recognizing a being of evil. She cradled and rocked it, shushing it to make it stop. And when all that did not work, she replaced the shushing with singing. William had always thought she had a beautiful voice.

William even remembered urging Drusilla to hurry up with whatever she wanted to do, before the Watchers Council's cronies caught up to them. He really did not want to fight with them because in Drusilla's fragile mental state, she surely would have been lost. But she would not hear his protests, and the councilmen did catch up to them. So he had to do something that he now regretted tremendously, something that hurt him even half a century later.

Spike picked up one of the newborns and threatened to kill it if the councilmen did not back off. The quickly obeyed, and backed down the hallway, allowing Spike and Drusilla to escape, but before Spike ran away, he sunk his teeth into the baby's soft flesh, and drank in the blood. Babies blood had always tasted the best, next to a Slayers. Spike tossed the baby to the councilmen, and they failed to catch it, so the baby landed on the floor, and became lifeless. The thing that William had to realize was that it wasn't he who had done those horrible deeds, it was Spike. The Spike that hadn't been reformed. But keeping that realization on hand to keep the regret away was something he had not mastered.

"William?" came a friendly female voice. William looked up and spotted the nurse's gaze. "You can follow me," she instructed.


	2. A Second Meeting

Chapter 2

A Second Meeting

"Well, you check out all right. The only thing that may be of concern is that your blood pressure is a bit elevated. But that should pass soon," the doctor told him.

'Yours would be to if you just became human again,' William thought to himself. He grabbed his shirt off the chair next to him and slipped his arms through the sleeves, not bothering to button it up yet.

"So you have a clean bill of health. Would you like me to fax this paperwork to a doctor of yours in the States?"

"No thanks. I'm not goin' to the states just yet, and I don't have a doctor there anyway. It's been so long since I was last there...." William trailed off. "May I see that?" he asked, gesturing at her stethoscope. She hesitated for a bit and then handed it to him. He gently placed the hearing ends in both ears, and lightly touched the other end over his chest. He stood for a few moments, listening to his heart beat. He knew it was beating but had not heard it since becoming human again. He caught the doctor's questioning gaze and then handed the stethoscope back to her. "It's been a habit since childhood. Every time I visit the doctor I always listen to my own heart. S'pose I want to make sure it's still there," he lied to her, laughing. His laugh was a fakery.

"Some habits we just cannot rid ourselves of," the doctor chuckled. She turned and wrote a few things on her clipboard and then set it on the counter. William buttoned his shirt and put his coat and hat back on, brushing his light brown hair out of his face.

"Thanks doc," he said, leaving the room. One the way out he stopped once more at the circulation desk and made sure that the nurse had the right insurance information and billing address. The Watchers Council would love him for that.

Back on the street, William walked to a bus stop and waited for about five minutes before the bus showed up. He stepped on, after an older woman, and took his seat. Staring out the window, he noted the street sign they passed and figured they were no more than five or ten minutes away from his apartment.

Since becoming human again last year, William had changed his name and look. No longer did he go by Spike. Those days were in the past. Everything was William now. He contemplated changing his name completely, but in the end decided to stick with the name his mother had given him. Giles had called him a young man, but he was now closing in on the two century mark. He was not a young man, though he looked young.

William had grown his hair out and had lost his trademark peroxide Billy Idol look. His hair was now it's original color, and nearly the same length it had been when Drusilla had first turned him. It was parted in the middle and brushed towards the back of his head, giving his hair a wavy look. He was still muscular, though he had not worked out in quite some time. His face was a bit more wrinkled now, showing some of the wear and tear of his arduous, two hundred year life. All in all, he looked much like a man of 27 should look. Aged, but not really.

As the bus came to a stop, William stood and found his chance to step out into the aisle and step off the bus. Stepping onto the sidewalk, he walked twenty feet before stopping and stepping onto a stoop and taking his keys out. He let himself into the building and took the elevator up to his apartment, number 56. After entering, he shut the door and locked it, hoping that the council would not bother him.

William turned on a lamp, revealing a sparse living area. A few pieces of furniture, including a couch, inn table, television stand equipped with a television and a VCR, and finally a coffee table, sat in the small living room. A small, round dining table in the kitchen and a bed and dresser in the small bedroom made up the rest of his furniture. There was no need to out do himself, as he never stayed in once place long enough to put down roots.

Plopping down on the couch, he turned on the television and flipped through a couple channels. He had always wanted to be _normal_, to live a _regular_ life just like everybody else. Now he had that and he was bored out of his mind. Every now and then he would get the itch to go out and hunt some demon, take it out. But then his mind would get in the way, throwing questions at him. Would he be able to do it? No. Would he live through it? Possibly. There were just to many chances to take, and after everything he had to give up to finally become human, he was not going to risk it. Her death would not be in vain.

A suitcase, plump with clothes, sat beside his dresser. He had unpacked and put things away, but it was a waste of time because he soon packed them back up. All the curtains in the tiny apartment were drawn, and stayed that way. He had not gotten used to not catching fire during the daytime. He most likely would never get used to that. Picking up his suitcase and glancing around the bedroom for anything he may have left, William exited the room and turned the light off. Passing through the kitchen he grabbed the last beer out of the otherwise empty fridge and opened it, taking a large first gulp. Finally entering the living room, he grabbed his keys off the coffee table and worked the apartment key off of his key ring, leaving it on the top of the television before existing the apartment and locking the door.

Stepping onto the street, William turned and looked up to his apartment window. He had spent many happy days in that apartment. To think, William the Bloody finally being able to be happy! That was something to laugh about. And she had made it worthwhile. Before he became human they had lived there together, fighting evil together whenever it sprang up. After he became human he lived there alone, hoping the helpless would escape somehow. Still staring at the window, he saw an outline of a woman appear. He knew instantly who it was. He shoulder-length brownish-blonde hair shimmering as always. Her face was filled with sadness, as if she wanted him to stay there even after she was gone. William closed his eyes and then reopened them, the visage of the woman he had once loved no longer there.

Catching a cab, he threw his suitcase in the back and got in himself. He told the driver to take him to the airport, and to step on it. He was running late, again. The cab driver nodded, started the meter, and pounded the gas pedal to the floor.

William ran through the airport, arriving at a screeching halt in front of the ticket desk. "I haven't missed the flight, have I?" he asked the clerk.

"No, you just made it," she replied. He handed her his ticket and she performed her duties, handing part of it back to him.

"Are you sure you want to leave?" came a slightly femalish though still male voice. William turned.

"What is this? A double team? I already told you Giles that I wasn't going to take you up on your offer, ever. And what did you think you would accomplish by bringing Andrew with you? Pissing me off?"

"I just wanted to make sure before you left, Spike, that you were sincere with your decision."

"Don't call me that."

"Why not? It's your name isn't it? You remind me of Darth Vader. Formally Anakin Skywalker, now Darth Vader. Except in your case now your Anakin again. And I suppose that Vader became Anakin again for a breif moment before he-"

"Andrew, shut up," both Giles and William shouted. "I'm going Giles. Maybe I'll send you a post card. And if I'm not mistaken, you already have some mail waiting for you," William told him. He turned and entered the corridor leading to the plane.

Author Notes: Next chapter will begin the flashback. It will definitely get interesting then. You'll get to see how Spike became William all over again. And believe me, it'll be a bumpy ride.


	3. May 19, 2004

Chapter 3

May 19, 2004

Flashback May 19, 2004

"Let's get to work," Angel shouted, in the forefront of the group of warriors behind him. They would battle to the death if they had to. Gunn was already dying, and Angel knew it. Still, he did not tell them to run, they would stay and fight.

"That's all you've got to say? Let's get to work," Spike mocked. "Oh please. Like we're all not gonna die here anyway."

"Spike, we don't have time for this," Angel yelled, not turning his head more than an inch or two.

"Look you pansy, I told you I'd help you take down the Circle, not the whole bloody army."

"Then leave."

"And let you stand here and have all the fun? I don't think so. I'll fight you for that dragon."

"And I'll win."

"The two of you banter in the face of a tremendous oncoming battle. It sickens me," Illyria stated, tilting her head just a tad. "The battle is what should occupy your thoughts, nothing else, unless you wish to die."

"Takin' all the fun outta it again are ya Blue?"

"Hey guys! Black dude down back here," Gunn said. The three standing turned to look at Gunn, who was holding a stomach wound.

"The flow of your blood is quick. You have mere minutes left."

"Thanks for the optimism," Gunn said to Illyria.

"We've got to get you out of here," Angel said, walking over to his friend and helping him up.

"Leave me. I'm a goner anyway. I know that. The battle is what matters," Gunn told Angel.

Angel wouldn't hear it. He looked to Spike who nodded in silent agreement. Angel helped Spike down the back of the alley and towards the Hyperion. "Guess that leaves my and you to stave the Big Bads off, Blue," Spike said.

Spike launched himself forward, Illyria just behind him, both taking on five demons at once. Illyria did a spinning move, extending a sword at the end of each arm to chop off the heads of all the demons encircling her. Spike plunged his sword into the chest of demon after demon, chopped some demon's heads off, and went the conventional way with punching, kicking, and head-butting wherever necessary.

Slowly they worked their way through the crowd of demons, nearly half of the army was slaughtered and littering the ground by the time Illyria and Spike had reached the street. As they battled the last few demons that were attacking them, Spike turned to Illyria who had just snapped a demon's neck. "Think we should meet up with Angel?"

"Warriors always return to their leaders once the battle has commenced."

"I'm takin' that as a long way of sayin' yes."

Spike started down the street and didn't look back. They had slipped out of the crowd of demons nonchalantly, so maybe they would fight amongst themselves for a bit before they realized Spike and Illyria were gone. Illyria walked beside Spike. She looked at him, head lowered towards the ground a little, her blue streaked hair dropping over her shoulder. "You do not intend to meet the other half-breed. Why?"

"The way I see it Angel can take care of the rest. Buffy and the gang'll be here soon. They'll be fine."

"You do not wish to see this 'Buffy'."

"And?"

"I do not understand."

"Look, I don't wanna see her because she doesn't know I'm not ghostin' about. Hell, she didn't even know I was ghostin' about in the first place. It'll just complicate things."

"Will the other half-breed not mention you?"

"Oh, he'll mention me all right. With a few choice words before and after my name. But that doesn't mean I have to be there to see it."

"Your logic is senseless. I go back because I choose to, not because he requests it of me."

"Right," Spike said, continuing to walk. Illyria stopped and watched Spike walk away. She lingered for a moment before turning and walking in her robotics fashion towards the hotel.

At the hotel, Angel had laid Gunn down on the love seat. He ripped one of the sheets covering another piece of furniture into bandages, and wrapped them around Gunns stomach in an attempt to quell the bleeding.

"Don't worry about it. I'm halfway there."

"You're not. You're going to live. I can't afford to loose another friend to this battle."

"You're gonna have to afford it. And you'll go on fighting," Gunn said. He coughed, and covered his mouth to catch the blood that would have spewed everywhere. "You know you have to go on fighting. There are bigger things happening than this war, you just don't know about them yet."

"What are they? Tell me."

"You'll find out.....soon....enou..." Gunn slowly faded away from consciousness, and ultimately slipped away from life.

An Hour Later

"So you don't know where he is?" Buffy asked Angel, in Angel's old office.

"No. According to Illyria, he took off because he didn't want to see you."

"Coward. Did he really think I would be mad at him for not telling me that he was alive?"

"Apparently he's better at reading people than I gave him credit for," Angel said, exiting the office and walking into the lobby. He looked to Giles. "Are the potentials upstairs?"

Giles nodded. "And they're not potentials any longer, they are Slayers. Buffy and Faith are not the only two anymore."

"Right. I keep forgetting that. It'll take a while to get used to." He looked to Illyria. "Did the army see you leave?"

"I am certain they will find us soon."

"Then I guess we better gear up," Buffy said, standing in the doorway to Angel's office. No sooner had she said that then the demons began pouring in through the double doors at both ends of the lobby and down the stairs. Many of the demons coming from the upper level were wounded, letting Angel and company know that the other Slayers had already gotten their hands on some of them. In fact, a few of the Slayers came downstairs fighting with the demons.

The battle lasted for hours and hours it seemed like, with many punches, kicks, and various other things thrown. Blood splattered the walls and bodies littered the floor. Angel was wounded badly, and was laying on his desk in the office, bandaged up by Giles. Five Slayers had died and their bodies were buried somewhere under the uncountable amount of demon bodies. Buffy and about a handful of other Slayers, along with Illyria and Giles were the only ones left fighting. The odds of living they were facing made Buffy wish that she had brought more of the new Slayers with her, instead of leaving them with Willow, Dawn, and Kennedy in Europe for the second front.

Suddenly, the doors swung open and three demons flew through the opening, followed by Spike, who was vamped out and whose hair color was like a rainbow from the different colors of the demons blood. "Looks like you could use some help."

"About time you showed up, bastard," Buffy said, swinging the scythe she had used to kill Caleb at a demon warrior and lopping his head off.

"You know me, always was one for entrances," Spike said, joining the crowd on the ground.

"And exits," Giles added.

It was a little while later, when all the demons were dead, and no more poured through the entrances. The only ones left alive were the ones who had always been there, fighting in the grit of it. Angel was barely holding on to life, as he was bleeding to death on his own desk. Buffy's right arm was broken, and she had a mean looking gash across her abdomen. Spike was beat up rather well, his left eye beginning to turn blue from the punch he had received, and he had a few arrows sticking out of his back and one in the leg. Illyria had lost a bit of hair, pulled out by a demon who had grabbed her and swung her up and into the ceiling, breaking her back, which she had painfully cracked back into place. Giles was the least banged up of the group, as he spent the majority of his time in the office attempting to keep Angel alive.

"So I suppose we all go our separate ways then?" Spike said. Buffy and Illyria turned to him.

"We're going back to Europe, as soon as we can move Angel. There's evil rising there to."

"Then I guess maybe I'll see you there," Spike said. He looked from Buffy to Illyria then back to Buffy. He wanted to tell her he still had feelings for her, but those feelings would never be returned. So, he turned, and slowly walked up the stairs and out of the hotel.

A/N- Thanks to the reviewers for reviewing: Wesfan1234, spikesummers, and Spike'sGirlLunaAsh. I'm not sure how long this story is going to be, but it won't be short that's for sure. Please bear with me if there's a slow chapter, because I'm just trying to get the story to where it needs to be. I think this one is a bit slow, but it sets up the next one nicely, promise.

Wesfan1234- Spike's journey to becoming human won't be easy, that is for sure. And Giles may help, but not completely. It'll be up to other familiar faces, who shall remain nameless at this time. And another thing—how you do find so much time to keep up with writing a few stories at the same time, reading other people's work, and doing your other daily things? I can barely find time to write one!


	4. Merry Ol' England

Chapter 4

Merry Ol' England

September, 1889

Spike looked at Drusilla as they made their way out of the pub. They had been there for hours, in the back room, feeding off numerous victims. They turned some, and let others bleed to death. Only after they had been satisfied did they vacate the premises. "Good people, weren't they Dru?"

"Lovely. Like rose petals bathed in wine," she said waving her hands through the air and swinging her hips to music that only she could hear. "Are we meeting father and grandmother?" she asked.

"No, not tonight. Tonight we're going somewhere special."

"Where?"

"Paris. All the humans you could eat. And the population there is small."

"Population? Then why would we want to go there?"

"Vampires are few and far between love," Spike explained. He grabbed Drusilla tightly around the waist and pulled her close, locking their lips together fiercely. A bit of blood seeped out of the corner of Drusilla's lip, but was quickly sucked back up. When they broke apart, Dru giggled.

"Can we have a baby there?"

"No Dru. No one else can join our little group."

Drusilla wined a bit, but not for long. She continued down the street with Spike.

November, 2004

"Sir? Sir we're landing and the captain has turned on the 'Fasten seat belts' sign."

"Right. Wouldn't want to die in a crash or anything," Spike said, looking up at the stewardess. He reached down and buckled the seat belt to satisfy the woman. She smiled at Spike and walked down the aisle, checking to make sure other passengers had their seat belts buckled as well.

The plane ride had been a peaceful one, and Spike had looked out the window at the passing clouds for most of the way. The flight was fairly long, but Spike did not notice. So much time had passed without him noticing. He was heading to England, upon Buffy's request, to help fight the evil that was nearly at the exploding point there.

Spike had spent the last few months in New York, living in a small apartment on the West Side. He had fought evil where it sprang up, but ultimately found the city to be boring without any of his old friends there. It was his fault he was alone, and he knew it. Buffy and her gang would have accepted him back as would have Angel and the precious few troops he had left. But Spike needed to get away from it all, to think about where the rest of his life was headed.

After all, Angel had told him back in Los Angeles that he had signed away his right to the Shanshu Prophecy, thereby giving Spike the only chance at it. The question was, how would he get there? Angel had spent many more years as a vampire with a soul than Spike had and therefore should have been way ahead in the points category. Then again, making the Hellmouth cave in on itself was not a small task at all.

Spike had contacted a few seers, and some of the old friends that he had made when he had first traveled to the States so many years ago, to see if they knew anything at all about when Spike would turn human. The answer, from all of them, was a resounding 'No'. None of them had even known that Angel had signed away his rights to the Shanshu prophecy, and to top it all off, none of the seers had believe in it in the first place.

But, nevertheless, Spike pursued answers only to find that there were none to be found, anywhere. So, with nothing better to do now, he was traveling back to the mother country to help a friend in need.

Hours Later

Spike rapped lightly on the door of the apartment that was at the address Buffy had sent to him. "Just a minute," came from the other side of the door, and a few seconds later the door swung open.

"Giles."

"Spike. I wasn't expecting you so soon....or even at all."

"Buffy said she needed my help. So I'm here. I told her I would be. But don't expect me to get with the chummys again, right?"

"Yes, of course. Come in." Giles stepped aside as Spike eyed him for a moment before picking his bag off the floor and strolling into the apartment.

"Where is everyone?"

"Out. Patrolling. There are not as many graveyards here as there were in Sunnydale, but the increased number of vampire make up for it."

"And Captain Forehead?"

"Who?" Giles asked, clearly confused. "Oh. Right. He's....well, we aren't quite sure where he is at the moment."

Spike dropped his back to the floor with a thump, and quickly turned to face Giles, his long black trench coat knocking a few knickknacks off a table. "Oh, I see how it is. You can't find Peaches so you call me up instead. What am I, a second rate hero or something? Seen _The Incrediables_? Do I look to fat to fit in my tights to you?"

"What? No, it's nothing like that. We couldn't find Angel, we only found you. We were trying to track him down so that the both of you would be on our side, more fighting power. We would have a better chance of winning that way. Understand?"

"Right. But don't think that I'm gonna dismiss the fact that you could just be feeding me a line here."

"Oh, I wouldn't dare think it," Giles mocked, picking a book off of the bookshelf he was now standing in front of.

"So what is it we're up against, and where do I room?"

"You room on the couch. And what we're up against is worse than the First. Well, in certain aspects at least. This demon can die, but it will want to take us all down with it."

"So its lookin' like I might have to sacrifice myself again then?"

"Possibly. We may all perish in this battle."

"Well, that's bloody all right with me. Just so long as I don't come back as a sodden ghost, unless I can terrorize Mr. Broodypants. Then it would be worth it."

"Not sure he would like that to much," Buffy said, coming in through the door. "Hi Spike. Thank you for coming."

"And the other scoobs?"

"Local strip joint. Those Pus demons can really move." Buffy walked over and put her stake down on the inn table and took her jacket off, hanging it on the coat rack. She turned back around and caught Spike's glance.

"I've known Pus demons to be a bitch to clean up if ya kill 'em," Spike said.

"Oh well. We'll make Andrew do it. Willow said didn't want to really deal with it anyway."

"So where are they really?" Spike asked.

"Believe it or not, they're at a strip club hunting a Pus demon," Giles said.

"Can I choose the 'or not' part?"

"Sure, but if Andrew comes back covered in pus and gooey things, don't say I didn't warn you." Buffy turned to Giles. "Given him the low down yet?"

"Nope, no low down. Knowledge boy was startin' when you came in," Spike said, leaning on the arm of the couch.

"Here's the deal. Got this demon that's pretty powerful. I'm thinking that he picked up a surge of power when the Circle of the Black Thorn was destroyed, and when Senior Partners link to this realm was severed. Will says that she felt some pretty powerful stuff come from that little battle you guys had going over there."

"But we haven't proven anything yet," Giles reminded Buffy.

"I know. This is all mere speculation. But, with the newfound power we think that he plans to unsever the tie, as in putting some duck tape around it and calling it fixed. If that happens there's no telling what the Senior Partners could unleash on us."

"That's right. From what we've collected so far, we have deciphered that the army we faced in Los Angeles a few months ago was only the reserves, what the Senior Partners kept in this realm in case Angel ever tried anything. Apparently they did not expect that Angel would have back up. If the tie is formed again, and the Senior Partners are connected to this realm, they could pour armies into our world, armies that we would have no chance no beating."

Spike took in all that he was hearing. "Seems to me that we've got to stop this demon. Do you know what he looks like, or where he is?"

"See there's your can of worms. The things a shape-shifter. Could be a cat one moment, and a puff of smoke the next. You never know. The only battles we have had with the thing is when it attacks us, and even then it's hard to fight because it keeps appearing and disappearing. Willow is close to a spell that will keep it in the same place, but we have no idea how to stop it from changing."

"Well then, sounds like we have an apocalypse on our hands."

A/N: Thanks to all those who are reviewing. Coming up, Spike gains some insight from a friend about the Shanshu Prophecy, and figures out if he really wants to stay and help Buffy and the crew out.

Not sure when I'll post the next chapter, because I'm leaving tonight and going to Florida for a number of days. I may post something while I'm down there, but I'm not making any guarantees. I definitely will have something to post when I get back, because I know I'll be writing nonstop.

Wesfan: Should've known that you don't sleep. It was either that or you turn back time to get more done, or use magic to extend the day. LOL.


	5. Field Time in the Demons Lair

Chapter 5

Field Time in the Demons Lair

Spike bent down slowly until he was crouching, his heels raised slightly from the ground so the brunt of his weight was placed on his toes. He ran his fingers through the dusty substance he had bent to investigate. Then, looking up and meeting Andrews questioning eyes he said, "They're metal scrapings."

"From what?" Andrew replied quickly.

"From my titanium hip," Spike bantered sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"You have a fake hip? Why? How'd you get it?"

Spikes mouth dropped open slightly and he stared in disgust at Andrew. "No you dumbass. The metal scrapings are from metal. Note the usage of the word _metal_."

"Okay, okay. You don't have to be so mean about it," Andrew stated, a bit offended.

"Well if you'd ask an intelligent question next time, you'd be more likely to get an intelligent answer, now wouldn't you?"

"I guess."

"Good. Now, we don't have time to lollygag around. Buffy sent us to investigate this place as possibly being the demon's lair."

"I know that."

"Just makin' sure you're up to speed, mate." Spike stood upright again, and glanced around. His eyes were accustomed to adjusting quickly to the darkness of the night, as most vampire's were. This night, however, it was particularly difficult to see. The moon rose high in the sky, lighting up many places, and those places the light did not reach to were pitch black, and therefore one had to be standing within the darkness in order to see what it was shrouding.

Andrew, noticing Spike's difficulty, dug as quietly as he could through his weapons bag and upon finding the flashlight he was searching for, whipped it out of the bag and flicked it on. "There, that's better," he stated triumphantly.

"Oh sure, how about lettin' the bugger know we're comin'?" Spike said, grabbing the flashlight and quickly extinguishing the light protruding from it.

"I was only trying to help," Andrew said. "Besides, Mr. Giles said that it was good for me to get some field time in, since I'm on my way to becoming a Watcher."

"You'll get your bloody field time as long as you shut the hell up and stop playing laser tag with your damned flashlights."

"Fine," Andrew whispered. "But if you get killed, I'm not going to be the one held respon-" Andrew was silenced by Spike putting a hand over his mouth. When Spike was sure Andrew had taken the hint, he removed his hand and placed a finger to his lips, signaling to the blonde-moment prone man that it was quiet time. Spike took a few light steps forward, while Andrew stayed in place, allowing for Spike to use his super-hearing to track the position of whatever was in the small warehouse with them.

Slowly turning his head, Spike spotted a shadow moving in front of a high window, allowing moonlight to spill into a corner of the warehouse. Whoever the newly arrived company was, they sure did know how to balance on the thin pipes and rafters high above. Spike bent, gathering strength in his lower legs, and then took off into a sprint towards the enemy. Seeing a chance to soar up to face the fiend, Spike launched himself into the air and grabbed hold of a cold water pipe, though Spike took no notice of the temperature for it was not a warm one. Swinging himself higher into the air, he released the pipe from his grasp and landed on an upper rafter.

Spike moved quickly towards the enemy as the thing turned to see where Spike was, whipping its long hair over it's shoulder. Spike jumped three rafters over and ran with all his might to the main beam in the middle of the ceiling to head the thing off. The two met with brute force, knocking them off the rafters and onto the flat roof of the small office in the upper right corner of the building. The roof was extremely rotten and since Spike was on the bottom of the falling heap, he was first to break through the roof, with much pain. The demon shrieked high into the night, and its scream sounded much like that of a young girl. Too much in fact.

By the time the air returned to Spike's lungs, allowing him to exchange bodily gases that helped throughout the years with smoking and catching the proverbial breath that vampires would never again actually breathe, Andrew was already upon the two, shining the very same flashlight Spike had yanked out of his hands only moments before. "Dawn?" Andrew said.

The girl moved off the top of Spike to plop herself on the cold cement floor. "Okay, ow, and secondly ow," she stated, rubbing her butt and shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" Spike managed, lifting himself up to prop his upper body up on his elbows.

"I came to follow you. Make sure you didn't get into any big trouble. You know, like a second lieutenant or something," she said, standing.

"I could've killed you."

"Yea, but I didn't expect you to go all Batman on me and do a flying leap to tackle me to the ground."

"Is it just me, or do you find it disconcerting that Buffy didn't trust us enough by ourselves. I bet you're wearing a wire to aren't you? To make sure we don't conduct any illegal activities. That's my big word of the day, by the way: disconcerting," Andrew said, directing the first part to Spike, the second to Dawn, and the last bit to the both of them. They both shot him a glare. "Right, shutting up. But I demand some respect!"

"And as soon as you stop acting so stupid, you might get some," Dawn said. She looked at Spike. "So I'm guessing you're turning up a big nothing here then?"

"Righto."

"Whoa, Giles Jr."

"Don't ever say that, _ever_ again," Spike said, shivering a bit. "I'm guessin' Buffy wants us to round back out to her place?"

"You're guessin' right."

"Wouldn't it have been easier to just send us with a cell-phone that we could put on vibrate or something?" Andrew offered.

"Thought about it, but then that would take all the fun out of it for me." Dawn said

"Oh, didn't you know? You weren't supposed to have any fun," Andrew shot back. Dawn smacked him in the back of the head. "Ow," he whined.

"Oh yea. Definitely got the strength and might of the Watcher down already. The respect should be comin' right up," Spike mocked. Dawn giggled a bit, and then they all set off for the base camp apartment.

Arriving at the apartment, Dawn opened the door and let herself in, the other two following closely behind. Spike went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, pulling out a can of….soda? "Hey, who drank all the beer?"

"No one. I threw it away," Giles said, entering the living room from the hallway. "I refuse to have that detestable beverage in my refrigerator. The remains of the last can went down the drain a few minutes ago."

"Damn you," was all Spike said. He tossed the soda back into the frige and walked over to plop down on the couch. "So where's the head hancho?" he said.

"Oh, she's out with the Immortal," Andrew blirted, receiving a piercing look from both Dawn and Giles. "Oh, right forgot we weren't supposed to…." he trailed off at the end of the sentence. "I'll just be…there," he said, walking over to the door and leaving the apartment.

"Bloody hell! You mean she's still dating that ponce?" Spike asked, utterly disgusted and surprised both at the same time.

The door swung open and Buffy entered, pulling the so called 'ponce' behind her, hand in hand. She turned and noticed them all staring at her in the awkward silent kind of we've-been-talking-about-you way. "Okay, let's not ever let me come into a place greeted like that again," she said, immediately noticing Spike's hard glare towards the Immortal.

"Not that I'm tryin' to be a bugger, well maybe I am, but I refuse to in the same place, room, country, etc., as that ponce. So, if you'll excuse me, I've got to find an apartment somewhere in Antarctica and get their now," Spike said, standing.

The Immortal eyed him. He eyebrows raised a bit, clearly surprised by Spike's statement. His short brown hair had originally been combed to the right, or so it looked like, before the wind had tossed it about. He was rather good looking, and just a bit taller than Spike was, and just as muscular. "Well I'm sorry you feel that way William. I had thought that we put our past agressions behind us when we did business in Rome earlier this year, but I suppose I thought wrong."

"Damn right you did," Spike said. "I'll never put the stuff that happened between us over the years behind me, and neither will Angel."

"It seems that is the one thing you can agree on. Correct me if I'm wrong," the Immortal started, taking his coat off and shutting the door. He hung his coat up and turned around to continue, "but I thought you and Angel had agreed that the both of you were past your little tryst over Buffy, and that you would, how should I put this?, that you would let her choose whom she wants to be with and let her be happy? As if she couldn't," he said, smiling at Buffy and kissing her on the cheek. She pulled away and looked at the both of them.

"We don't have time for bitter bantering about things that happened in the past. In case you hadn't noticed, we're fighting a serious demon here, a demon that wants to kinda wipe us off the planet, if you get my drift. So put your first grade fight away and get over yourselves." She turned to Spike. "He's here to help Spike, so deal with it," she said. She caught the Immortal smirking as she did and turned to him. "The same goes for you. Now sit," she pointed to the couch. Spike walked over and sat on one end, and the Immortal sat on the other, with Dawn inbetween them. "Where's Andrew?"

"He went back to his own apartment," Giles said.

"Whatever. Spike, did you find anything?"

"Yea, I found your little trooper you sent to watch me," he said flatly.

"Oh. Well, then at least we've narrowed the list down to two places. The Waterfront Hotel, and the abandoned pub down on 43rd."

"Buffy, it is possible that this thing doesn't have a lair," Giles stated. "If he is able to travel between deminsions, then it is quite possible that is lair isn't even on this plane. It could be anywhere."

"If that's the case, we'll just have to make with the magic's until we find it. Until then, everyone regroup and we'll meet here in the morning. Giles and I will be on research duty."

Spike stood, moving his leather trench coat to the left so it wouldn't brush against the Immortal, and walked over to the door. He didn't turn and say goodbye to anyone, just opened the door and walked out. Sauntering down the hall, he ran into Andrew who was returning from the snack machine in the lobby. Spike said nothing, just stared straight ahead, focused on the end of the hall.

"I've got gummy worms if you want some," Andrew offered as Spike passed. Spike said nothing. Andrew turned and mumbled something to himself, entering his apartment as Spike continued down the hall. He need to let off some steam.

A/N: Up next comes the Spike getting insight part that I mentioned in the last author's notes. I didn't really have it thought out that well, so I wrote this chapter to lead up to it. Hope you enjoyed it. And the advice comes from someone you probably won't guess. Any guesses?


	6. Idle Chatter

Chapter 6

Idle Chatter

"Another, sir?" the bartender asked as he picked Spike's glass up and with a white rag, wiped the water ring that was left. Spike nodded. The bartender stuck Spike's glass under the beer tap and filled it to the brim, the white foam just barely being held back by the edge of the glass. Carefully, the bartender set the glass back down and Spike lifted it to his lips to take a big gulp. The bartender moved off to the other end of the bar to cater to his other customers.

In the back of the small pub, Spike heard a few words being thrown around, the ruckus becoming louder and louder by the second. Spike spun around on his stool and looked to see who was causing all the noise. Two demons, both of a different species, were hurling insults at one another, with no hope of stopping. Standing, Spike walked slowly over to the two of them, pushing through the crowded tables and receiving a few disapproving looks from people, which he ignored. "What's all the ruckus?" Spike said, leaning back on his heels slightly and putting his thumbs into his pockets.

"It's none of your concern vampire," the green one said, turning back to the other demon it had previously been fighting with. "If you hadn't stolen my cloven hoof we wouldn't be having this conversation," the demon said, continuing with the conversation that had been interrupted by Spike.

"I've told you already, demon, that I didn't steal your damn hoof. I don't have any use for it, why would I want it?" the second demon said, in a low, deep, raspy voice.

"You must know how much it is worth on the black market," the demon hissed. With that, it threw a punch at the other demon, striking it in the face and making the demon fall into the wall. The other demon quickly stood, and went to throw a punch at the green demon, but Spike caught it in mid-air, twisting the demons arm over and bending it back.

"See, now it's my concern," Spike said, elbowing the green demon in the face, and then breaking the other's arm. "Now take this outside or it'll get uglier," he said, releasing the demon he had a hold of. The two scattered as quickly as they could and scurried out the door.

"What'd ya mean, flaunting? I didn't flaunt," Buffy said, in a sort of pouty tone to Giles, who was in the kitchen making a pot of tea.

"It was not appropriate for you to bring the Immortal back here when you knew very well that Spike would be here waiting for your return."

"Look, he and Angel both said that they were over me. And he didn't exactly treat me like a basket of peaches when we went to help in LA."

"And so you think that justifies your actions? Clearly you're not as mature as you think," Giles stated, pouring the hot tea into a cup and placing the cup on a saucer to bring into the living room and sit down.

"I feel like I'm in high school again, and I'm sitting in the library listening to you lecture me," she stated.

"As well you should feel like you're in high school. It was wrong, and you know it was."

"I am sorry if Spike isn't over me, but that won't hinder me from doing what I want. Just because he's still in love with me, doesn't mean that I'm going to tip-toe around him forever. The same goes for Angel. And I know they both disapprove of my dating the Immortal, but there's nothing I can do about that. They know that they will both hold a special place in my heart forever, but I will not live my life trying not to hurt their feelings," Buffy said. She stood and walked out of the living room and down the hall to the bathroom. She needed a long soak.

Giles stood and returned to the kitchen, placing his cup and saucer gently on the counter. Dawn emerged from her room, and walked down the hall and into the living room, sitting in a lounge chair that had a clear view into the kitchen. "So…."Dawn said, attempting to break the silence.

"Yes, Dawn?" Giles asked, turning slightly and looking briefly at her.

"Do you think she realizes that the more she keeps using Spike, the less he's going to want to help us?"

"She knows. She just doesn't want to admit it," Giles stated, topping off his tea and adding a bit of sugar.

"Agreed. And I can't say that I like the Immortal either, but I can't imagine how Spike feels about him."

"Horribly, I know," Giles said, returning to the living room and taking a seat close to Dawn. "The Immortal has thwarted both Spike and Angel time and again, and for some reason he loves provoking them. The only person who would have any chance of stopping that is back there right now," he said, pointing down the hall.

Dawn nodded. "Fat chance of that happening," Dawn said.

All the while Buffy was soaking in the bath tub full of bubbles, she could hear every word Dawn and Giles were speaking, however low their tones.

Spike had had more than a few drinks by now, but he kept downing them as fast as the bartender could pour them. Every few drinks he'd take a break for about ten minutes, then start the routine over again. In all the years he'd been a vampire, he had not gotten drunk off his ass once, so what would make this time different?

The bell above the door rang as another customer entered. The person strolled over to the bar and sat next to Spike. Spike glanced over for a brief moment and a few seconds after the first glance his head shot back over to the person sitting next to him. "Illyria?" Spike asked to the blue-haired version of the now badass Fred look alike.

"Speak my name not," came the low, melancholy voice that was Illyria, the only thing that defined her now. She looked just like Fred used to. No blue hair, no body-tight red suit. Just the deep voice.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Spike asked.

"Martini with a twist, please," came Fred's usual chipper and pleasant voice from within the evil that now occupied her body. "My stealth was requested in the field of the watchman," she stated simply. "I am here because it suits me."

"Right, whatever," Spike muttered, downing half of his vodka. "So Giles sent you eh? Didn't even know you were in the country, much less the area."

"I traveled to my former place of rule only to find it as dismal as the place you call Los Angeles. This whole world wreaks of humanity and I cannot stand it. However, I occupy myself with mindless tasks that bore me utterly; tasks that I loathe. The one who resembles Wesley, the one who let your precious Winifred Burkle die, sought me out with special instructions."

"Really, and what might those special instructions be?"

"That I follow the one they seek to destroy on nights that align with a schedule he holds. I am to appear as Winifred Burkle did when she inhabited this body, and doing so sickens me. But I wish to remain on this earth, if only to explore much of it and to acquire the knowledge I seek. If these tasks shall help prevent the one who works to stop me, so be it."

'God has he got her wired,' Spike thought to himself. "Well imagine that. Me and the big blue workin' on the same team again. Can't say that I've had a bundle of laughs in my time here, but, I'm committed to the cause."

"Something troubles you."

"Yes, something does."

Illyria tilted her head slightly to the right, as was her trademark, and eyed Spike.

"I'm guessin' you wanna know what it is?"

"Well, if you wanna talk with me, that's fine. Not that you have to or anything, but I'm here and willin' to listen," came Fred's southern Texan accent from within the shell that represented so little of what Fred once was.

"Right." Spike downed the rest of his vodka and tapped the glass on the bar, letting the bartender know it was time for a refill. After the glass was full once again, and Spike had taken another sip, he looked at Illyria. "Well, seems that Captain Forehead signed away his right to the Shanshu back there when he was tryin' to get in good with the Circle of the Black Thorn. So, I'm the next in line right? Problem is that I don't know if I'll be around when the powers finally decide to give me what's rightfully mine and all. Not sure that I want to be around."

"You wish not to have what you have been seeking since becoming more human," came Illyria's voice again.

"It's not necessarily that. I went in search of my dark side, but instead of getting that, instead of getting put back to the way I used to be, I got this shiny new soul. So I tried to make the best of it. Tried to impress 'er. And what does she do? She let's me burn up and crumble in the Hellmouth while she goes an' makes merry with my arch nemesis."

"The half-breed called Angel."

"No, not that one. The other one. The Immortal. And now I'm back, all real boyish again, and she's still throwin' that ass in my face."

"The Immortal? The being existed in a form during the time of my rule. The being was a weakling then and remains that way now. During my rule, anyone who opposed or wronged me was instantly destroyed."

"Yea, but I can't just haul off and kill The Immortal. That would piss her off even more."

"You mean Buffy right? The one you and Angel are always fussin' about?" came Fred's voice once again as the bartender approached. She waved him off in a friendly manner—her drink was still full. She hadn't taken a sip. Realizing this, she did so for good measure, to make herself look more real. Then she glanced back to the demon she was following to make sure he was still there.

"Right, Buffy." Spike took another swing of his drink.

"Existence with hope that becomes false over time is not existence at all. It is merely existing. A waste of life is someone who worries constantly about things that cannot be changed."

"So you're tellin' me to give up on 'er?"

"Well, if she's never gonna love you, then what's the point? I mean, I don't mean to be harsh or nothin', but you shouldn't wait around for her when she clearly is with someone else."

"Yea, thanks Fred."

"No problem. And besides, that whole Shanshu thing, I'm not exactly sure that it's true anyway. I mean, Wes and I did some research on it, but not even he was convinced about its root in actual fact. All you can do is keep on moving along down the path of redemption, and get whatever's coming to you," she clearly showed signs of pain when she said Wesley's name, even though the being known as Winifred Burkle did not inhabit the body.

"Okay, I gotta get outta her because you're freakin' me out with that whole Fred thing," Spike said.

"My charge is currently exiting the building, and I must continue to follow him. Exchange whatever currency you use with this loathsome man. The man who resembles Wesley stressed that it was an important part of this world. In my day, any and all currency was paid directly to me—gifts from my people so I would look favorably upon them. Their worship is not yet lost on me." With that, Illyria, still in the form of Fred, stood and exited the pub a few seconds after the demon she was following went through the door. Once outside, she slipped into the shadows and changed back into her true form—blue hair, body-tight red suit, pale skin and all.


	7. Confrontation

Chapter 7

Confrontation

Spike had thought about Illyria's words a lot over the past 24 hours. He hadn't wanted to go back to where Buffy and her lot were staying, not until he had made a decision. After considering all of his options, he finally made up his mind to stay and help, but after that, there was nothing more he would do for them.

Spike, who was now in his car, turned onto the street that the town home the Scooby gang now occupied was on. They had moved within the last week, after Buffy had finally found a bigger place to house their operations for the time being. The apartment had only been temporary, a residence to start out in and grow from. The town house was three stories, with two bedrooms on each story, and a small den on the third floor which served as Giles' library.

Stepping out of the car, Spike quickly wrapped his coat around his exposed skin so he wouldn't catch fire. The windows of his car had been blacked out, except for a few small, hazy spots that provided Spike enough of a view of the road to drive by. Hurrying up to the door, he rapped quickly on it, and Dawn was first to answer. "Spike!" she said excitedly.

"Hey nibblet," he greeted her. "How 'bout invitin' me in?"

"Oh! Right! Come in!" she said, and Spike stepped in quickly, Dawn closing the door behind him. As he repositioned his coat, she said "Sorry. Forgot that you hadn't been to the new place yet."

"Where's Buffy?" he asked, wanting to get his little deed over and done with as soon as possible so he could go to some bar and get as close to drunk as was possible for him. When you live to be over a hundred, your tolerance level is quite high.

"She's upstairs in Giles' library."

"Oh, got himself a library now does he? That oughta have made him giddy," Spike said. The doorbell rang, and Dawn went to answer the door again. It wasn't until now that Spike noticed that Dawn was dressed in casual, yet formal clothes. When she opened the door a young man, no more than 19 was on the other side, holding a single white rose. He was dressed in a silk shirt, with no tie, and khaki trousers.

"Hi Doug!" Dawn beamed at the boy as he extended his hand to give her the rose which she accepted with much excitement. She turned to Spike and introduced them as Doug entered the doorway. "Spike, this is Doug. Doug, this is Spike. He's….a friend of the family," Dawn said. Doug took a step forward and extended a hand and Dawn mouthed to Spike that Doug had no concept of the real world.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Spike," Doug said in his accent, one much like, but not exactly the same as, Spikes.

Spike took Doug's hand and gave it a firm shake. "Same to you, chap," Spike said. "You treat her right, or I'll have ta come after you," Spike said, squeezing Doug's hand a little harder. He flashed a grin and then directed his next statement to Dawn: "Upstairs, right?"

"Third door on the right. Come on Doug," she said, grabbing the boy's arm and pulling him away from Spike. "Tell her I'll be back later, and not to wait up," she said.

As Dawn and Doug left, Spike remarked to himself about how much Dawn had grown up since he had last seen her. He had no doubt that Buffy would have a problem with her not giving a specific time that she would be back, but then again, Buffy had always been to overprotective.

Heading upstairs, Spike ran over his list of things to say in his mind. He wanted to make it short and sweet, yet informative and firm. He entered the room without knocking, obviously interrupting something from the glare he was given by both Buffy and Giles. "Right, I'll make it short then," Spike said, sauntering over to a chair and plopping himself on the arm of it.

"Actually, what we're discussing would be beneficial to you as well," Giles said.

"Ah-ah, me first," Spike said. "I thought it over, and decided I'd come on board again. But, there are conditions if you want my help."

"Conditions? What type of conditions could you possibly think we would agree to, and for your help to boot?" Buffy asked, with much venom.

"Look Slayer, I get that you're pist that I didn't come on over and tell ya that I wasn't dead, but you really need to get past it. Look at me, if I can get past it, you can get past it. Right? Good."

Buffy started to say something, but Giles stopped her, realizing that Spike was on borrowed patience, and that he was serious with what he was saying.

"Right then. Talked it over with a bloke a few nights ago, and decided that I'd help. But, after this, I want you lot to leave me the hell alone. I don't care if I'm dead or alive, leave me out of any future events that you want to tackle. No big bads, no apocalypses, nothing. I'm outta the business after this. Gonna live me a normal life, and all that jazz and shenanigans. You cool with that?"

Giles spoke first. "As long as you don't hinder or impair the assistance you provide to us now, we will both," he said, placing a hand on Buffy's arm, "agree to what you are saying. Can you assure us of that?"

"You got it, mate." Spike stood and walked a few paces over to join the group so he could hear and see what they were talking about. "Oh yea, no wavin' your boy toy around in my face either. Got it, Slayer?"

At this point, Buffy couldn't take it any longer and she hauled off and slugged Spike right in the face. "Listen Spike. I have every right to be mad at you for not telling me that you were alive, especially after everything we went through together. And you _do not_ get to come in here and dictate to me what I can and cannot do with whomever I want. Just because you signed on to help us take down this demon thing, doesn't mean that we're going to grovel at your feet the entire time to get you to stay on our side. We can fight this battle with or without your help, but with your help it will be much easier. Got it?" Buffy said, as Spike rubbed his face.

Realizing he wasn't going to win this fight, Spike backed down, let his guard off, and looked at Giles. "What've we got?" he asked.

"Not much more than we had before," Giles explained. "I ran across a mention of a demon that sounded much like the one we are pursuing. His name is Dardock, and no one knows the full extent of his power. This book was written from texts recovered that were written during the 4th century. Apparently he made an appearance during that time, and slaughtered every Slayer that faced him."

"And how many would that be?" Buffy asked.

"Approximately six," Giles answered, closing the book and setting it on the table.

"Looks like we've got a bad ass on our hands. Find any mention of how to stop the bloke?"

"None. Willow is still attempting a spell that would locate him and make him stay in the same form, but she hasn't quite worked out all the tweaks yet."

"Last we checked she had turned Kennedy into a pillow," Buffy laughed.

"Sounds serious," Spike said.

"Oh, she fixed it. Turns out that it was only temporary. Like 30 seconds temporary," Buffy replied, standing straight up from her leaning position against the table. She took a step forward. "I'll let you know if I need you for anything," Buffy said.

"Going out?"

"Yes."

"Well I hope whatever you need me for involves the demon because I'm not playin' your little games like we did a few years ago. I won't sleep with you to make the Immortal jealous!" Spike yelled just as the Immortal entered.

The Immortal kissed Buffy and then said "I'm glad to here that. But for your information, I wouldn't be jealous in the least bit."

Spike growled and launched forward after him, but Giles grabbed Spike by the arm and held him back. Buffy and the Immortal left the room.

"Why do you let him get to you like that? He just does it because he knows that you'll get angry."

"I can't help it. Ever since he slept with Dru and Darla, I've hated him. If Angel were here we'd both toss his carcass out for the worms to eat."

"And as pleasant as that imagery makes me feel, I have to go. I have business across town. Stay if you like. Andrew is in the house."

"Right. Quality time with nerd-boy."

A/N- Sorry for the majorly long delay in updating the story. I started writing for an online Angel Virtual Season 6 and a virtual Buffy Season 8, and school work picked up, blah blah blah, basically I've been macho busy for the past few months. So, I found this chapter that I had written a while back while I was still involved with the story, tweaked it up a bit, and here it is. Hopefully Chapter 8 won't be too far behind.


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